Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad

This healthy Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad is vibrant, flavourful and packed with nutrients. It makes the best meal prep lunch or dinner for busy days. Keep it as is for a vegetarian option or pair it with salmon, chicken or tofu for an added protein boost.

Why you should make this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad

If you’re looking for a salad that provides both flavor and nutrition, this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad is the perfect choice. With its vibrant mix of colorful vegetables and seasonal herbs, this salad is as visually appealing as it is delicious. 

The bright, herby pesto brings a bold punch of flavor that compliments the tender orzo and roasted veggies, creating a well-balanced bite every time.

We can’t forget about the nutrition considerations of this dish! It’s packed with fibre-rich vegetables and plant-based protein from the chickpeas. It’s a satisfying and energizing option that can stand alone as a light meal or you can add a portion of salmon, chicken or tofu for an added boost in protein.

An added bonus is that this pesto orzo salad is meal prep-friendly, holding up well in the fridge for several days. This makes it ideal for work lunches or quick summer dinners. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or planning ahead for the week, this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad is a flavorful addition to your recipe rotation.

Ingredients needed

Here’s what you need to make this pesto orzo pasta salad: 

• Cauliflower
• Zucchini
• Chickpeas
• Orzo
• Feta
• Pesto
• Red onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Garlic
• Fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

For the Basil Balsamic Dressing, you will need:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fresh basil leaves
• Dijon mustard
• Fresh garlic
• Salt
• Black pepper

Substitutions and add-ins

In case you don’t have some of the suggested ingredients, or you want to switch a few things up, here are my recommendations:

• Broccoli
  • Use this in place of the cauliflower
• White beans or lentils
  • Instead of chickpeas, you can experiment with these alternative legumes.
• Rice
  • I highly recommend using orzo in this dish because it pairs so well with the other textures, but if you don’t have it, you can use rice instead.
• Homemade basil pesto
  • If you have a homemade version of pesto that you would prefer to use, by all means incorporate it in this recipe!
• Fresh mozzarella
  • In case you don’t like feta, feel free to opt for an alternative cheese like chopped or crumbled fresh mozzarella.
• Cherry tomatoes
  • Adding some sliced or chopped cherry tomatoes would add an excellent element of freshness to this salad!
• Toasted pine nuts
  • Add a handful of toasted pine nuts on top to amplify the nuttiness of the pesto and enhance the overall texture.
• Lemon juice
  • Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the salad for a vibrant citrusy flavour.

How to cook orzo

Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta that’s usually made from semolina, whole wheat, or white flour. One of its biggest advantages is how quickly it cooks. Here’s an easy guide to cooking it just right:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Make sure to use double the amount of water to the amount of orzo. For example, if you want to cook 1 cup of orzo, boil 2 cups of water.
2. Once the water is boiling, add the orzo and keep the lid off. *TIP: place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot to prevent the water from boiling over.
3. Because of the small pasta shape, it cooks relatively quickly. Cook the orzo for 8-10 minutes (or otherwise noted on the package), or until the orzo is soft and slightly chewy. All (or most) of the water should be absorbed but you can drain any remaining water, if needed.
4. Since this is a cold pasta salad recipe, allow the orzo to cool to room temperature, before adding it to the remaining ingredients of this salad.

How to make Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad

Here’s how to make this orzo pesto salad:

1. Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. To a large bowl, add the chopped cauliflower and zucchini. Drizzle on the olive oil and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until the veggies are coated.
3. Transfer the vegetables to the lined baking sheet and place it in the oven for about 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime, cook the orzo to the preferred doneness. See above for specific directions on how to cook orzo.
5. At this time, you can also prepare the Basil Balsamic Dressing.
6. Once the vegetables are roasted and the orzo has cooked, add them to a large bowl. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, red onion and ¼ cup of pesto. Mix well until everything is coated in the pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Right before you serve this salad, pour some Basil Balsamic Dressing on top. Enjoy!

How to make Basil Balsamic Dressing

It’s incredibly easy to whip up this dressing. All you have to do is:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend on high for 20-30 seconds. 
2. Make sure all of the basil leaves have been pureed into the dressing and blend again if necessary, until fully incorporated.
3. Alternatively, you could add the ingredients to a bowl and use an immersion blender to combine it all.
4. Pour the dressing over this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad and enjoy!

See the full salad dressing recipe post here.

Storing leftovers

If you have leftovers and want to keep them for later, let the orzo salad cool to room temperature before storing. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. Keep in mind that pieces of fresh basil might darken in the fridge, but they’ll still add great flavor. If you’re preparing the salad ahead of time, wait to add the Basil Balsamic Dressing until just before serving.

Nutrition

My goal is to encourage a more joyful, intuitive relationship with food, focusing on flavor and satisfaction rather than numbers. Because of this, I don’t normally calculate the calories of my recipes. Caloric amounts can also be inaccurate due to variations in ingredients and portions. However, I do like to highlight the beneficial nutrients that my recipes provide.

This recipe makes roughly 6-8 servings, depending on whether this is a light or heartier meal for you. If it makes about 6 servings, each one will provide roughly*:

• 10 grams of protein
• 5 grams of fibre
• A variety of B vitamins as well as vitamin C and vitamin K
• Minerals such as magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc and more!

*This information may vary significantly and does not include the ¼ cup of basil dressing added on top.

Dietary considerations

This Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad is naturally vegetarian. Here are some substitutions you can make to accommodate other dietary needs:

• Gluten free: Use gluten-free orzo. Orzo is not traditionally gluten-free but more food manufacturers now offer gluten-free and grain-free versions.
• Nut free: opt for a nut-free pesto. Some pesto products will be made with pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts.
• Dairy free: use dairy free feta cheese or alternative dairy-free cheese.
• This recipe is not vegan.

I hope you love this Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad! If you make this recipe, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutritionkitchen!